Pneumatic tires have a number of rubber components. Each of these components may require different physical properties. However, one property that is common to almost all rubber components is good tear properties. Conventionally, carbon black may be added to a rubber compound to improve its tear resistance. With increasing amounts of carbon black, other properties of the rubber may be affected. Therefore, there exists a need to improve the tear resistance of a rubber component of a tire without sacrificing other beneficial properties.